Chapter 8

A/N: I'm back! I'm writing the next chapter already, and I'm planning on updating as often as I can. I have my other Batman fic running and right now that's my first priority. So, I'll write my chapters when I have down time but, the updates may still be sporadic. Please enjoy!

"Kara 'Raven' Kincade is hereby pronounced, sane. You're being placed under strict house arrest for two years. Any breech of the regulations will either land you in Blackgate or Arkham." My whole body went numb, with an unexplainable emotion, when the judge slammed down his gavel.

On one hand, life would be easier. A less monotonous routine, good food, independence, a somewhat normal life.

And on the other hand, no more Jack, no more afternoons filled with useless chatter, no more picking on the weak. I really had enjoyed every minute of time spent with Jack. I never really learned things about him, strictly speaking, and yet I did.

I learned that his father was abusive to him and his mother. I learned that the story about his wife was true, about how he got his scars. He never came right out and admitted either stories but just listening to each time he told a different part, I started piecing them together.

Now, I was being sent back to the Asylum to gather my things from my cell -not that I had much- and to change back into the clothes I was wearing when I was admitted. Also, hopefully I would get time to tell Jack something. Anything to give him something to hold onto and let him know that I'd try to see him again.

When we got back, it was during free time, right after lunch. They sent me to wait in the courtyard as they got my clothes. I sat under our tree, and waited for the inevitable moment when Jack would come. He approached the tree, and sat down across from me at the base of the trunk.

"Jack, please, I have to tell you," I told him before he could say anything. "the court pronounced me sane today. I'm going home." I told him, looking down at my hands. I couldn't stand to look at him now. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his fists tighten in his lap and I looked up.

"I'm not supposed to have emotion. I'm the Joker, I mean," He started, somewhat awkwardly, after a long pause. "but, you've messed with my barrier that I've put up. Just know. When you leave, you're still mine." I looked up, and nodded. I leaned over and hugged him, my arms winding around his neck. His hands awkwardly spread out along my back.

"Come and find me." I whispered into his ear before getting up, seeing the guard coming to get me. Steele was behind him, and looked a little...forlorn?

"Can't say I won't miss 'ya." He said awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. I hugged him and told him I'd miss him too before walking back into the building with the other officer.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

After all was said and done, an officer drove me back to my apartment. I looked so much different than when the police came to pick me up. And oddly enough, it didn't feel like home. It was dark, it was dusty, it smelled like something died -probably in the fridge- and the air was thick. It didn't feel right.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I just felt this seething hatred pouring from my body. I couldn't explain it, if you'd asked me. Out of the blue, I just wanted everything in my apartment destroyed. I wanted to break something, anything. I imagined myself picking up the vase of flowers, an antique someone in my family had sent me, and throwing it across the room. As soon as I thought that, I heard a shattering noise. I whipped my head around as quickly as I could, probably succeeding in givng myself whiplash, to see the vase shattered and the flowers strewn across the floor.

"Hello?" I called out. Was someone in my apartment? How did they know that I wanted to shatter that vase? I walked over to pick up the flowers and caught my reflection in the mirror. My hair was mussed from pulling on it in rage and my frown deepened as I looked at my own eyes. My eyes were normally gray. Now they resembled a violet color, purple eyes? That's impossible. As I continued to stare at my reflection, my anger started to subside, and my eye color started to fade; turning back to their normal gray color.

I couldn't believe it. Either someone was seriously messing with me, or I had some sort of ability. How could I not come across this ability sooner? I had been more mad in my life than I had just a minute ago, and yet nothing like that had ever happened. Although, I normally didn't think about throwing things in the heat of rage, I just did. I wondered what else I was capable of. I imagined myself flying, ridiculous as it was, I just didn't know what I could do. I imagined myself have super strength, and I moved to the wash room, and tried to lift the washer. I felt ridiculous, but I couldn't lift it. I imagined myself becoming invisible. At first I felt nothing, but I concentrated harder, and suddenly, I felt weightless. Almost like I was floating. I walked over to my bathroom and flipped on the lights. When I looked into the mirror, it was the oddest thing. I was looking at myself, and yet, I couldn't see anything. I knew I was there, but nothing was looking back at me as it normally did. I held out my hand imagined myself picking up my hair brush. I watched as a black glow emitted from it and it finally lifted from the counter, coming towards me; as I imagined myself. Finally as a last resort, I imagined myself going to a different room without walking there; teleporting. I imagined myself in the hallway of the apartment building, and as I opened my eyes, I was in front of my door.

As I let myself back in, my abilities set in, and I felt my knees buckle, and I collapsed against my door. The first thing I thought of was that I could go back to Arkham and get Jack.

"I can't do that. I'm not trained enough. Oh, what am I saying. I think I really am going crazy." I told myself as a paced the apartment. "They shouldn't have let me out yet. I need to go back. I've gone completely crazy."

I imagined myself traveling back to Arkham, as I did, I peeked and saw I was a stones throw away from the front gate. I imagined myself walking across the street, and as I did so, I wondered if I could move freely without closing my eyes. It was odd at first, just floating feeling exposed, like you would if you were naked on a stage or on the spot and yet, people passing by didn't give me a second glance. I contemplated opening the gate but that would look too strange, so I climbed over the wall, and I could see the world moving up and down as if I were playing a video game in first person.

I saw my reflection in one of the blacked out windows, and made sure I was still invisible; as if my power could run out for some reason.

I entered the 'Lobby' (If it could be classified as such), and made my way through the familiar hallways that I walked through for those few months. As I walked down my old corridor, I noticed that someone else had already taken my place in my cell. but as I looked into Jack's cell, I noticed no one was in there. I looked into all the offices, and then into 'The Warden's' office, and didn't see him anywhere. The only other place he would be was solitary.

As I made it up to solitary, I saw a few of the doctors that I'd seen during group time talking outside of the door.

"I haven't seen an episode like this from him since before Raven got here. I knew she was affecting him." The short, mousy looking one with the glasses said.

"Well, it's not like we can just bring her back to keep him in check." The taller, lankier one replied

"We can't do anything but keep him in here and in a jacket for now." The short one declared as they started walking down the hall.

I looked into the room Jack was in, and gasped. He was in a straight jacket, his head was down, and his shoulders were slumped, his breathing looked shallow and his movements were slow and lazy. It looked like they doped him.

I knew that I needed to get him out tonight. But I needed to know what happened first.

A/N: Sooo, I kind of had a burst of inspiration, why not include Raven in my fic? I thought it'd be fun. I know it's abrupt and it probably doesn't fit in with the story but, it was either this or no story at all so, what are you gonna do?

Also, I'm probably going to change the rating from M to T I don't know what I thought I was going to do with an M rated story. Not really my forte.

Good? Bad? Lemme know!